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The International Master in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies (IMSISS) welcomes applications from students around the world.

Applications to the programme and scholarship competition for entry in September 2019 closed on Friday 25th January 2019. Applications for entry in September 2020 will open in October 2019.Click here to apply online »

The University of Glasgow will manage applications to this programme. We ask that you apply online and ensure that all documents are uploaded and submitted by the application deadline. Applicants to the programme must submit all the necessary supporting documentation, including separate scholarship application form, with the online application.

You are advised to read the information below and the Scholarship Application Information before starting your application. It will ensure you are ready to proceed, as well as answer many common questions about the application process. Answers to additional FAQs asked by applicants in recent years can be found HERE and you are encouraged to consult these.

If you would like to be considered for a place on the programme as a self-funding student (subject to available spaces) you should indicate this on your application form. Please note that a £1000 deposit will be required to secure a self-funded place on the programme.

Yes. To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We are unable to accept your application by any other means.

Do I need to complete and submit the application in a single session?

No. You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process. You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload additional documents such as your final transcript or your language test certificate.

What documents do I need to provide to make an application?

As well as completing your online application fully, it is essential that you submit the following documents:

A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)

A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained

Evidence of your English Language ability (if your first language is not English). Please see below for accepted English-language proficiency tests.

CV

A copy of the photo page of your passport

Scholarship Application Form OR Personal statement (if not applying for an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship)

Please note, in order to be considered for a scholarship for entry in September 2019, you MUST have submitted ALL of the above documents by 25 January 2019. If your application status is ‘holding for documents’ then you will NOT be considered for a scholarship unless you submit the required documents by 25 January 2019.

Do my supporting documents need to be submitted online?

Yes, please upload the supporting documents with your application.

How do I provide my references?

You must either upload the required references to your online application or ask your referees to send the references to the University as we do not contact referees directly. There are two main ways that you can provide references: you can either upload references on headed paper when you are making an application using the Online Application or you can ask your referee to email the reference directly to pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk. If your referees are submitting via email then you should include a document in the reference section stating the name and email address of your referee. We will then cross reference this with the emailed references and upload the reference to your application.

Please note that if you are applying for a scholarship, the data you provide in your application will be shared with the IMSISS Consortium Partners as part of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship review process.

Personal data will be sent to the Educational, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and may be used for the purposes of evaluating the programme, efficiently managing the project, and producing statistics. Data could be made available to the EACEA, the European Commission, the European External Action Service staff, as well as to other stakeholders of the Erasmus+ programme, such as Erasmus+ National Agencies, National Erasmus+ Offices and the Erasmus Mundus Student and Alumni Association.

Guidance notes for using the online application

These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately, they are also available within the help section of the online application form. If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application then you should visit the Application Troubleshooting/FAQs page.

When searching for the programme in the online system please use the following search options:

Academic Careers – Postgraduate Taught

Admit Term – Academic year 2019/20

Mode of Study – Full time

Programme Description – Security

You are also reminded to ensure the following:

Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.

Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.

Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application. See above for details on selecting the course.

Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.

English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).

Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.

References: References should be completed on letter headed paper and uploaded on to your application, or instances where referees are submitting reference to pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk then you must include a document with the referee name and email address with your application so that this can be cross referenced. All references must be received by the 25th January 2019 for an application to be valid.

You should have a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject, such as, but not limited to politics, international relations, history, area and cultural studies, law, sociology, criminology, human geography, computing science, language sciences, global studies, psychology, media studies and journalism, modern languages or business. Other disciplines not listed here will be considered on an individual basis. Applicants with a relevant work experience background in the fields of policing, security, intelligence and risk analysis will also be considered. You can check your country- specific requirements on our country information pages.

If you are unsure whether your degree is suitable, you can email the programme convener to discuss.

International students with academic qualifications below those required should contact our partner institution, Glasgow International College, who offer a range of pre-Masters courses.

Academic Background:

The programme is opened to students from various academic backgrounds and we encourage those who have been in employment for some time to consider applying.

English Language Requirements:

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)

overall score 6.5

no sub-test less than 6.0

or equivalent scores in another recognised qualification (see below)

Common equivalent English language qualifications

All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:

Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English: ISEII at Distinction with Distinction in all sub-tests

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept an IELTS test (Academic module) from any of the 1000 IELTS test centres from around the world and we do not require a specific UKVI IELTS test for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

The University’s English for Academic Study Unit offers a range of Pre-Sessional Courses to bring you up to entry level. The course is accredited by BALEAP, the UK professional association for academic English teaching; see Links.

Degree Certificate (and an official translation)
NB: Students who have not yet completed their degree can also apply. Please provide academic transcripts to date. Offers of a place on the programme will be conditional pending receipt of the final degree result. Applications will be considered for scholarship but any offer of a scholarship will also be conditional until the final degree result is confirmed. See ‘Note on conditional offers’ below.

Official academic transcript(s), translated in to English (official translation) and showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained

Two supporting reference letters on headed paper. These should typically be academic references but in cases where this is not possible then a reference from a current employer may be accepted instead.

English Language Proficiency (if your first language is not English)
NB. In cases where it is not possible to provide proof of language qualification at this stage, applications will still be accepted but any offer of a place on the programme or of a scholarship will be conditional until the test result is received & verified by Admissions. See ‘Note on conditional offers’ below.

Please note, in order to be considered for a scholarship, you MUST have submitted ALL of the above documents by 25 January 2019. If your application status is ‘Holding for Documents’ then you will NOT be considered for a scholarship unless you submit the required documents by 25 January 2019. The only exception to this is English language proficiency certificates, and final degree certificates and transcripts where an applicant is still currently studying.

Note: Conditional offers

An applicant who is completing the final year of his/her first degree or who has yet to provide the required evidence of proficiency in English will be considered for entry to the IMSISS programme but will not receive an unconditional offer of a place on the programme until we have received his/her final degree and/or English language test results. In such cases you may be made a conditional offer on finishing your degree at the required grade and/or obtaining the required English language test results. This documentation must be submitted to the IMSISS via the University of Glasgow before you can enrol on the IMSISS programme.

Supporting Personal Statement:

Please be as precise as you can when writing your Supporting Personal Statement. Do not repeat yourself and do not exceed the word limit (600 words). You should make sure that you address the following issues in your personal statement:

You should outline your motivation for choosing the IMSISS programme (i.e. how it complements and develops your previous studies; how it relates to your career path; how it relates to your personal and academic interests).

Explain why you think you are a good candidate for the programme given your previous studies and the courses offered on the programme in both years.
Briefly indicate what you see as being the topic of your year 2 dissertation (this can change later).

You should highlight your participation in conferences, internships, non-governmental organisations, summer schools, and other socially sensitive or political activity; as well as any prizes/awards received even if these activities are not specially connected to the area of Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies.

And Finally:

For more tips and useful information on completing a successful application to an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree please read the excellent document produced by the Erasmus Mundus Ace Project Team:

Please note that the data you provide in your application will be shared with the IMSISS Consortium Partners as part of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship review process. Please see our Privacy Notice for details.

Personal data will be sent to the Educational, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and may be used for the purposes of evaluating the programme, efficiently managing the project, and producing statistics. Data could be made available to the EACEA, the European Commission, the European External Action Service staff, as well as to other stakeholders of the Erasmus+ programme, such as Erasmus+ National Agencies, National Erasmus+ Offices and the Erasmus Mundus Student and Alumni Association.

“This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the
author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”“Funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union”

IMSISS Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree Consortium

8-9 Lilybank Gardens,
School of Social & Political Science,
College of Social Sciences,
University of Glasgow,
Glasgow,
G12 8RZ,
Scotland,
United Kingdom